Creating and editing projects and drawings

2 Creating and editing projects and drawings ............. 2-2

2.1 EPLAN Cabinet projects ............................................................ 2-4
2.1.1 Creating a new enclosure project ........................................................... 2-4
2.1.1.1 Creating a project inside an EPLAN project................................. 2-4
2.1.1.2 Creating a project from a file........................................................ 2-6
2.1.2 Creating a new enclosure project from a template ................................. 2-8
2.1.3 Creating a new enclosure project by copying ......................................... 2-8
2.1.4 Opening an existing enclosure project.................................................. 2-10
2.1.5 Project pre-delivery check .................................................................... 2-11
2.1.6 Closing a project ................................................................................... 2-13
2.1.7 Deleting an existing enclosure project .................................................. 2-13
2.2 EPLAN Cabinet drawings ........................................................ 2-14
2.2.1 Adding a new drawing to a current project ........................................... 2-14
2.2.2 Adding a template drawing to the current project ................................. 2-15
2.2.3 Saving a current drawing as a template ............................................... 2-16
2.2.4 Deleting a drawing from an enclosure project ...................................... 2-17

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Creating and editing projects and drawings
EPLAN Cabinet projects

2 Creating and editing projects and drawings

A project in EPLAN Cabinet contains all data used in designing and laying out an
enclosure. Each project is kept in a project directory identified by the name of the
project with an .ECB extension. A project directory contains an EPLAN parts data-
base, project control files, an EPLAN parts list file (EPLAN.PBF), an EPLAN ad-
ministration list, and EPLAN Cabinet drawings.
Only one project can be open at a time. It is not possible to have multiple projects
open for editing.

File

Project Wizard

File | Project Wizard

Freehand symbol

The Project Wizard contains all commands needed for creating and editing EPLAN
Cabinet projects and for adding drawings and enclosures to them.

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Creating and editing projects and drawings
EPLAN Cabinet projects

2.1 EPLAN Cabinet projects

2.1.1 Creating a new enclosure project

Project Wizard | Create new project

File | Project Wizard | Create new project

You can create an enclosure project inside an existing EPLAN project or on its own
without reference to an EPLAN project.

2.1.1.1 Creating a project inside an EPLAN project

In the "Import data from EPLAN" box, select the EPLAN version you want to import
EPLAN component data from:
• EPLAN 5
• EPLAN 21
Note: in Eplan 21, parts can be assigned a width, depth and height. When a pro-
ject parts list is exported or updated with the Eplan 21 default settings, the depth is
omitted. To include it, select the following in Eplan 21: Browser | Utilities | Parts
Management
Parts List (Device Tags) | Settings tab | [...] and drag "Depth" to
the left-hand side.

Select a project drive

A logical drive (e.g. "P") should be assigned in EPLAN Cabinet so that it points to
the EPLAN project directory.

The data in the EPLAN project directory can be imported into the enclosure project.

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EPLAN Cabinet projects

Choose the drive that is assigned to the EPLAN project directory:

Click [OK] to go on to the directory selection, where you choose the directory in
which the EPLAN Cabinet project will be stored.

Click [OK] to go on and name your project. You can either accept the name of the
EPLAN project or type a name of your own.

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EPLAN Cabinet projects

2.1.1.2 Creating a project from a file

In the "Import data from EPLAN" box, choose "File". Then click [OK] to create a
project that is based on a parts list file but is not related to an existing EPLAN pro-
ject.

Select folder containing parts list

Select the directory containing the source data - that is, a parts list (EPLAN.PBF or
FORM.ASC) with data for enclosure components.
If you want to create a new folder, right-click to open the context menu and choose
"Create new folder".

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Select folder for EPLAN Cabinet project

Choose a folder in which the custom EPLAN Cabinet project will be stored.

Name the project

In the Project Name dialogue, type a name for the enclosure project.

Click [OK] to save the named project in the selected folder. In the example shown,
a subdirectory ECDNeu2.ECB is created in the selected folder, TestProjekt.
A drawing is automatically created and a dialogue opens for you to select a basic
enclosure from the database.

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Creating and editing projects and drawings
EPLAN Cabinet projects

2.1.2 Creating a new enclosure project from a template

Project Wizard | Create new project from template

File | Project Wizard | Create new project from template

This command creates a new project directly from a selected template drawing.
The procedure is the same as for creating a new project in an existing EPLAN pro-
ject or from a file, except that there is no selecting a basic enclosure from the data-
base.
• Select the project type and then an EPLAN project or parts list file.
• Select a folder to create the project in.
• Name the project.
• Instead of the database browser, a file selection dialogue opens for you to se-
lect a template drawing. Select the cabinet you want.
• Specify a placement point for inserting the cabinet in your drawing.

2.1.3 Creating a new enclosure project by copying

Project Wizard | Create new project by copying

File | Project Wizard | Create new project by copying

This command copies an existing enclosure project. It copies all EPLAN Cabinet
data from the source project to a new EPLAN project or new parts list.
The procedure depends on whether you choose to copy the data from a file or from
an EPLAN project.

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EPLAN Cabinet projects

Copying EPLAN data from a file

• Select the folder containing the EPLAN parts list (EPLAN.PBF or

FORM.ASC).
• Specify a folder to create the project in.
• Name the project.
• Select an existing EPLAN Cabinet project to copy.
• A new project is created in the specified folder and with the specified name.

Copying data from EPLAN 5/EPLAN 21

Select an EPLAN project
First, select the EPLAN 5 project from
which you are going to copy data to an
enclosure project.
Select an enclosure source project
Next, select an existing enclosure pro-
ject directory to copy (enclosure project
directories can be recognized by the
.ECB extension):

The drawings in the copied enclosure project are opened in the new EPLAN 5/21
target project.

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EPLAN Cabinet projects

2.1.4 Opening an existing enclosure project

Project Wizard | Open project

File | Project Wizard | Open project

Select the project you want:

Click [OK] to confirm your selection and load the project drawing.

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2.1.5 Project pre-delivery check

For every import of EPLAN bills of material into EPLAN Cabinet, a new filter func-
tion makes it possible to flexibly specify filters for the devices to be imported. These
criteria are compiled from EPLAN project hierarchies that can be preselected in the
EPLAN project. When using the filter, only the devices that correspond to the
specified import filter criteria are offered in the device browser. The same goes for
connections.

Activating the project pre-deliver check

To use the Project pre-delivery check for every import of the EPLAN bill of materi-
als, select Extras - Parameter manager. The Use EPLAN project pre-delivery filter
option is set to Standard in the Settings - EPLAN chapter tab.
The dialog for filtering the components appears
• Upon initial start after a new installation
• When creating a new project
• When opening an existing project if the setting Automatically update EPLAN
bill of materials when opening a project is activated
• In the Update project bill of materials function

Options in the Project pre-delivery check dialog

Depending on the setting in the EPLAN project being used, you can select the fol-
lowing filter criteria in the Project pre-delivery check dialog:
• Functional assignment
• Plant
• Installation site
• Mounting location
• Higher-level function number
• User-defined

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EPLAN Cabinet projects

Selecting options
If the criteria is available in the EPLAN project, click [...] to open a dialog that lists
the available plant designation, for example. Here you can select the desired plant
designation. Use the [Shift] or [Ctrl] keys for multiple consecutive or individual se-
lections, respectively. Clicking once again on a selected item will remove the selec-
tion.
Click [OK] to enter the selected values in the Project pre-delivery check dialog.

Also import components to be placed externally

If you add this option, the devices in parts management with the Position externally
property will be also read from the bill of materials. These are components that are
not in the enclosure itself, but will be assembled and operated outside of the enclo-
sure, yet belong to the project.

Import log
Importing the EPLAN bill of materials is documented in a log file regardless of
whether a filter was used or not. The file is in the DRV subdirectory of the Cabinet
project directory and has the name PROJECTIMPORT.LOG.
If any errors or warnings have occurred, the log file is opened in the editor for you
to see after importing the bill of materials.

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2.1.6 Closing a project

Project wizard | Close project

File| Project wizard | Close project

All loaded project drawings are presented for saving or discarding. After this, the
drawings are closed and the project structure present in the background is unloa-
ded. EPLAN Cabinet is then again in start state.

2.1.7 Deleting an existing enclosure project

Project Wizard | Delete project

File | Project Wizard | Delete project

In the directory list, select the project you want to delete. Click [OK] and answer the
confirmation prompt to delete the project together with all associated drawings and
system files.

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Creating and editing projects and drawings
EPLAN Cabinet drawings

2.2 EPLAN Cabinet drawings

2.2.1 Adding a new drawing to a current project

This command adds a drawing to an existing enclosure project, for when you want
an enclosure project to include more than one drawing. First, be sure that the exist-
ing project is already loaded.

Project Wizard | Add new drawing to current project

File | Project Wizard | Add new drawing to current project

The new drawing is given the name of the project followed by a sequential number
such as _2. The enclosures in the database are then listed for selection.

Select an enclosure model and specify a placement point to insert the cabinet in
your drawing.
The additional cabinet drawings will be opened automatically the next time you o-
pen your project.

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2.2.2 Adding a template drawing to the current project

You can add project drawings to your project from template drawings.

Project Wizard | Add template drawing to current project

File | Project Wizard | Add template drawing to current project

Select the drawing you want in the templates directory.

Click [Open] to open the template drawing in the current project, rename it and sa-
ve it to the project directory.

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2.2.3 Saving a current drawing as a template

This command saves the active drawing in the currently loaded project as a tem-
plate.
For example, you could save a drawing containing a partly fitted enclosure as a
template for use as a starting point in other projects.

Project Wizard | Save current drawing as template

File | Project Wizard | Save current drawing as template

Choose the directory you want and enter a file name. Click [Save] to save the draw-
ing in the selected directory.

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2.2.4 Deleting a drawing from an enclosure project

This command removes a drawing from a project that is not currently loaded. If you
select the command when a project is loaded, you are prompted to close it first.

Project Wizard | Delete drawing from a project

File | Project Wizard | Delete drawing from a project

The drawing files in the selected project are listed.

Click [Open] and answer the confirmation prompt to delete the selected drawing
from the project directory and to remove all reference to it in the project file.

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